Cr1MiNaL
23rd February 2011, 18:36
We decided to camp it up on the side of SH 2 on the verdant bits along with Jason McCamish, Bridget, Hayley and Ewen. With the bikes out of harm's way in the pits and locked up we decided to have a stroll down the local shops to get us a feed. Thanks to my astounding decision making endowments we decided to dine at an Indian restaurant (best in NZ apparently said the locals). Travis Moan #888, Jase (Motostyle) and Ivan were to meet us early in the morning to set up camp and get the bikes ready for what was to be an epic days racing.
We put the bike through scrutineering on the Saturday after arriving & she always gets through without too much ado. This time however we needed some bar ends which had rattled off in the 3 hour endurance race at Taupo not long ago. Curiously someone overheard me moaning under my breath and donated us an old cork screw he had in his tool kit (this from a motard rider which was quite a welcome revelation). I promptly dispatched the girlfriend off on an undertaking to find me a bottle of vino from the local supermarket. I downed that with copious gratitude and wedged its stopper into the bar end. Fixed! Better than me $60 USD Yoshimura ones I'm convinced.
Virgin Laps:
Since it was our first time at Paeroa (and a street race) we were to shadow a lead rider for 4 laps to acquaint ourselves with the circuit. 1 lap down and the pace is soporifically slow. I know the idea is to not stack it in the newbie laps but seriously it would be nice to get out of third gear down the front straight! We need to see what this track does at speed don't we? So I ended up passing about 5 bikes under the yellow flag until I got to the front of the pack where the pace was satisfactory to teach me something.
My initial thoughts? Just like any NZ highway this road was as bumpy as mini woops on a MX track and some of the bends gulled you into them too fast (can you say Westpac!) Thought of loosening my suspension off but from a failure to spot the local suspension guru Kerrie Dukie (who I had seen wandering about before) in time gave it a miss and decided to wing it with an emblematic kiwi “she’ll be right” attitude.
Qualifying was pretty run-of-the-mill as I was stuck behind riders and passing had to be selective, I fared a 50.411 which put me on 14th on the grid. Not too unhappy because I wasn’t even trying that time.
My main goals for this race were:
1. To finish all races in the top 10.
2. To be invited to the King of The Streets.
3. To post a lap time of fewer than 49s.
Race 1: Formula Paeroa.
I got off to a pronounced start getting in front of Rhys Holmes, Paul Duncan, Travis Moan, Dave Manuell and possibly another couple before T1 (correct me if I’m a bit off but it happened very very fast). Started finding my consistency and engaged the racing line as much as I could. The track was v bumpy at speed almost every time I got on the gas the front would rise and every time I hit the picks the rear would lift off the ground (just like a road ride then!) T5 was especially bumpy where simply backing off on constant throttle would send the rear wheel half a foot to the left of the bike and then it was time to brake hard for the hairpin (Pirelli corner). Only managed a time of 49.361s but finished 10th in Formula Paeroa as the 600ds were running in the same class for lack on numbers to justify their own class.
King Of The Streets:
With 2/3 goals in my back pocket I was going to give it hell at the main event. I got another cracker of a start and found myself behind Scott Moir at T5. He backs in the CBR 600 like a motard and that brings a smile to my face! Travis passes me once again on the back straight with me missing a gear shift on his worked Ray Clee Suzuki Superbike and I tuck in behind him for a learn. Follow him for quite a bit until we come upon a motard who refuses to keep both wheels in line! He’s doing pretty decent lap times by the looks of the way he rides. I never got close enough to him to challenge him but Travis got in front of him on the second to last lap. Turns out he was Scott Birch – go Birchy!! I didn’t really get a lot of clear track ahead of me but managed a PB of 48.396 keeping it reasonably sensible. Finished 12th, bit disappointed with my gear shifts which cost me a couple of places in every race but on the bright side those two riders would have probably passed me closer to the end anyway.
Race 2: Formula Paeroa.
Again got off to a cracker of a start in front of most on the third row and perhaps a couple on the 2nd row. Was about 7th into T1. I was suffering “issues” with my shifter predominantly as between wheelstanding after Pirelli Corner in the first three gears I would forget to land it and shift to 4th and 5th swiftly. Apologies for this as I know Paul Duncan and even Travis almost ran into me. Sorry boys think were going to try race shift soon to diagnose & get rid of the issue.. Bouncing off the limiter Travis Moan and I think it was Tony Rees (although I’m not quite sure how he got behind me) went flying past. Then I think Karl Morgan whizzed past under brakes at some point too. Scott Moir goes for an off road excursion at the end of the start straight and I get to finish in 9th place in Formula Paeroa with a 49.41. Not really there yet I know it inside. unfortunately my mate Paul Duncan goes down in his F3 race where he was doing really well and gets taken to hospital with a broken arm. He didn't make this race.
The Track:
5th gear across the start finish line, hard on the brakes rear light as a feather down three gears missing the slippery stop sign and back on the throttle into Westpac (massive slides down this slope – who got pics?) barely recovered and wheeling into T3 the Suzuki bends due to the kink at the base of the slope, constant throttle through the bends and short shift to third before the dipper. Wheeling all the way to the fast right hander, barely putting her down to have the rear wheel getting air on a kink that you can’t possibly avoid. Almost hitting the small hay bale to the right with my right knee and down two really quick gears missing the white line; to the inside of the manhole into Pirelli and back on the gas aiming to the right as the camber sucks you in when on one wheel. First shortshift, second, third all on one wheel, fourth still on the gas through the blind 250+ left hand sweeper 5th still on the gas. 100m hard on the brakes down three gears and repeat! What a rush. Paeroa you bloody legend! 9th overall for the day and 9th best lap time in Formula Paeroa class = can't be too unhappy with that for a first go :)
Thanks to our promo girls Hayley & Bex Sutton; Travis Moan, Jase (Motostyle), Ivan, Jason McCamish, Bridget, Ewen, Damien Mackie, Sloan Frost, Frenchy, AMCC, all my mates who came to say hi in the pits. Most of all thank you to my sponsors! Metzeler hats off to you for getting me there! Danny at Fluid Coatings limited for making my bike look like it does! Terry at Project Digital Ltd for website design, Maxima oils for keeping our bike running at the red line, and Tim and Derek at New Plymouth Motorcycle Center for all your constant help and support. We’re constantly looking for new sponsors – just hang on to our tail – we’re going to the top and will take you with us! Thanks you marshalls, organisers, AMCC and spectators you were all awesome!
We put the bike through scrutineering on the Saturday after arriving & she always gets through without too much ado. This time however we needed some bar ends which had rattled off in the 3 hour endurance race at Taupo not long ago. Curiously someone overheard me moaning under my breath and donated us an old cork screw he had in his tool kit (this from a motard rider which was quite a welcome revelation). I promptly dispatched the girlfriend off on an undertaking to find me a bottle of vino from the local supermarket. I downed that with copious gratitude and wedged its stopper into the bar end. Fixed! Better than me $60 USD Yoshimura ones I'm convinced.
Virgin Laps:
Since it was our first time at Paeroa (and a street race) we were to shadow a lead rider for 4 laps to acquaint ourselves with the circuit. 1 lap down and the pace is soporifically slow. I know the idea is to not stack it in the newbie laps but seriously it would be nice to get out of third gear down the front straight! We need to see what this track does at speed don't we? So I ended up passing about 5 bikes under the yellow flag until I got to the front of the pack where the pace was satisfactory to teach me something.
My initial thoughts? Just like any NZ highway this road was as bumpy as mini woops on a MX track and some of the bends gulled you into them too fast (can you say Westpac!) Thought of loosening my suspension off but from a failure to spot the local suspension guru Kerrie Dukie (who I had seen wandering about before) in time gave it a miss and decided to wing it with an emblematic kiwi “she’ll be right” attitude.
Qualifying was pretty run-of-the-mill as I was stuck behind riders and passing had to be selective, I fared a 50.411 which put me on 14th on the grid. Not too unhappy because I wasn’t even trying that time.
My main goals for this race were:
1. To finish all races in the top 10.
2. To be invited to the King of The Streets.
3. To post a lap time of fewer than 49s.
Race 1: Formula Paeroa.
I got off to a pronounced start getting in front of Rhys Holmes, Paul Duncan, Travis Moan, Dave Manuell and possibly another couple before T1 (correct me if I’m a bit off but it happened very very fast). Started finding my consistency and engaged the racing line as much as I could. The track was v bumpy at speed almost every time I got on the gas the front would rise and every time I hit the picks the rear would lift off the ground (just like a road ride then!) T5 was especially bumpy where simply backing off on constant throttle would send the rear wheel half a foot to the left of the bike and then it was time to brake hard for the hairpin (Pirelli corner). Only managed a time of 49.361s but finished 10th in Formula Paeroa as the 600ds were running in the same class for lack on numbers to justify their own class.
King Of The Streets:
With 2/3 goals in my back pocket I was going to give it hell at the main event. I got another cracker of a start and found myself behind Scott Moir at T5. He backs in the CBR 600 like a motard and that brings a smile to my face! Travis passes me once again on the back straight with me missing a gear shift on his worked Ray Clee Suzuki Superbike and I tuck in behind him for a learn. Follow him for quite a bit until we come upon a motard who refuses to keep both wheels in line! He’s doing pretty decent lap times by the looks of the way he rides. I never got close enough to him to challenge him but Travis got in front of him on the second to last lap. Turns out he was Scott Birch – go Birchy!! I didn’t really get a lot of clear track ahead of me but managed a PB of 48.396 keeping it reasonably sensible. Finished 12th, bit disappointed with my gear shifts which cost me a couple of places in every race but on the bright side those two riders would have probably passed me closer to the end anyway.
Race 2: Formula Paeroa.
Again got off to a cracker of a start in front of most on the third row and perhaps a couple on the 2nd row. Was about 7th into T1. I was suffering “issues” with my shifter predominantly as between wheelstanding after Pirelli Corner in the first three gears I would forget to land it and shift to 4th and 5th swiftly. Apologies for this as I know Paul Duncan and even Travis almost ran into me. Sorry boys think were going to try race shift soon to diagnose & get rid of the issue.. Bouncing off the limiter Travis Moan and I think it was Tony Rees (although I’m not quite sure how he got behind me) went flying past. Then I think Karl Morgan whizzed past under brakes at some point too. Scott Moir goes for an off road excursion at the end of the start straight and I get to finish in 9th place in Formula Paeroa with a 49.41. Not really there yet I know it inside. unfortunately my mate Paul Duncan goes down in his F3 race where he was doing really well and gets taken to hospital with a broken arm. He didn't make this race.
The Track:
5th gear across the start finish line, hard on the brakes rear light as a feather down three gears missing the slippery stop sign and back on the throttle into Westpac (massive slides down this slope – who got pics?) barely recovered and wheeling into T3 the Suzuki bends due to the kink at the base of the slope, constant throttle through the bends and short shift to third before the dipper. Wheeling all the way to the fast right hander, barely putting her down to have the rear wheel getting air on a kink that you can’t possibly avoid. Almost hitting the small hay bale to the right with my right knee and down two really quick gears missing the white line; to the inside of the manhole into Pirelli and back on the gas aiming to the right as the camber sucks you in when on one wheel. First shortshift, second, third all on one wheel, fourth still on the gas through the blind 250+ left hand sweeper 5th still on the gas. 100m hard on the brakes down three gears and repeat! What a rush. Paeroa you bloody legend! 9th overall for the day and 9th best lap time in Formula Paeroa class = can't be too unhappy with that for a first go :)
Thanks to our promo girls Hayley & Bex Sutton; Travis Moan, Jase (Motostyle), Ivan, Jason McCamish, Bridget, Ewen, Damien Mackie, Sloan Frost, Frenchy, AMCC, all my mates who came to say hi in the pits. Most of all thank you to my sponsors! Metzeler hats off to you for getting me there! Danny at Fluid Coatings limited for making my bike look like it does! Terry at Project Digital Ltd for website design, Maxima oils for keeping our bike running at the red line, and Tim and Derek at New Plymouth Motorcycle Center for all your constant help and support. We’re constantly looking for new sponsors – just hang on to our tail – we’re going to the top and will take you with us! Thanks you marshalls, organisers, AMCC and spectators you were all awesome!